Mr. Lifestyle ROBBY ROBINSON, an icon and legend from the Golden Era of bodybuilding - "The Black Prince", your expert for longevity and health, shares his secrets about natural muscle building at any age, old school training, healthy foods and lifestyle habits

ROBBY - Rotating variables has been an important part of my approach to bodybuilding. I’m always rotating the different parts of my plan. I rotate a set selection of foods, supplements, exercises and my training workloads. It keeps the body confident about what to expect, but at the same time on its toes - guessing and excited. The whole key to bodybuilding is being able to communicate with your body. I think the light-heavy approach has saved me from injuries and getting burned out. The idea to alternate light and heavy goes back to my early days of lifting in Tallahassee. I split my love for focusing on the muscle, and my love for challenging myself with heavy weight.

Q - What number of reps, exercises and sets do you do?

ROBBY - On my heavy days my reps are 8 to 10, and my lighter days 12 to 15, sometimes as high as 20. It’s like I’m using a different set of paint brushes - a heavy stroke one time around and the next time I’ll go back in with a lighter stroke, for detail. I’ve always seen training as art; you’re able to create that muscle, if you really focus on it. It’ll look exactly how you want. As far as the number of sets and exercises - it seems I’ve paid my dues because now with muscle maturity I’m able to get the effect I need from my workouts with less sets and exercises than I needed over the years. But you better believe, one of my sets, with the weight I’m handling and the mental picture I have of the isolated muscle group, is probably more effective than another person’s entire workout.

POSING IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO INCREASE SEPARATIONOF EACH MUSCLE GROUP FROM THE OTHER

Q - What’s your take on cardio to loose weight and get in shape, and how much did you do in your eight-week plan?

ROBBY - I’m in it for the long haul. Bodybuilding was never a means to an end for me, but a way of life. Using that approach in my decision making has always lead me down the wiser road. It’s probably strange to hear a bodybuilder say - the body is delicate, but it is. Overdoing anything will wear the body and mind down. A lot of cardio and over-training wears the joints and ligaments and tendons down and sets you up for injuries. Food has always been my biggest ally in creating a conditioned, ripped physique. I’ve seen miracles happen with the right eating plan. That alone will create a popping metabolism, weight loss, muscle growth, high testosterone and energy levels plus beautiful skin and hair. Yes, I always thought beauty was a big part of bodybuilding. With a good eating and lifestyle plan, weight loss will happen at the right pace. It’s about conditioning the mind and body to a lifestyle. My cardio plan is 15 to 20 minutes after my three workouts a week. I like to alternate between a flat and a high incline every minute. I definitely don’t hold on when I walk on the treadmill. I think it’s better for your overall conditioning. Some sessions you will find me ski walking on it. I didn’t need to change this format during my eight-week countdown.

Q - The other day you said your abs have never looked so good. How can that be at sixty-four almost sixty-five years old?

ROBBY - I believe the older you get, the better you should get - that if you take care of yourself, age isn’t a number to dread but something to be proud of. I think everyone should take care of themselves. The body functions better. If I want to have a pizza, I can fix it myself. I believe in my own style of eating and my selection of natural foods. Cooking myself, I know what’s in the meals. I’ve been this way my whole life. I enjoy it. It makes me feel confident and secure in my lifestyle. I go to bed knowing all my food is digested and my body will rest and detoxify itself while I sleep. It’s that consistency in good habits - training, eating, resting, supplementation - that’s the most powerful tool in a bodybuilder’s progress and longevity. I look at things as to whether they will promote life or take it away. My training and eating are more refined and specific today than they were twenty years ago, even eight years ago. You do get better with time but like anything, it takes work. There are no short cuts. Don’t let anyone fool you, real bodybuilding and all its aspects is NOT FOR THE WEAK OF MIND.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR FEELINGS

IN THE WORKPLACE OF CHASING A CHAMPIONSHIP.

''EVERYTHING IN THE CULTURE TELLS YOU TO REPRESS YOUR EXPERIENCES AND TOUGH IT UP. THE MOST COMMON WAY TO DEAL WITH TRAUMA IS TO SAY, 'I'M FINE, IT'S NO BIG DEAL', AND BURY IT''.

STATUESQUE

ROBBY ROBISNON -'70s"Having a small waistline is the key to having that statuesque look on stage."

ROBBY - Having a small waistline is the key to having that statuesque look on stage. A well proportioned physique brings beauty to the lights. Eating smaller meals is crucial, and doing this consistently over the years has helped contribute to having that same look even at sixty-4. As far as exercises - twisting with a broom handle, crunches and vacuums are the only exercises I’ve used on a consistent basis for the last forty-five years.

Q. You talk about manipulating your eating during your Eight-Week countdown. What does that entail?

ROBBY: My edge over my competitors was always my off-season work and that’s sticking to a great eating plan and handling the same weights I used when on steroids. I’ve just always stayed in shape. Then it only takes little tweaks in my eating and training to get the effect I want, with no major shock to my mind and body. ‘No shock’ is key to a bodybuilders’ success. I’m eating 3500 calories a day during the first three weeks, then fluctuating around 3000 calories the next three weeks and then they’ll shift to 2700 the final two weeks. My protein numbers stay consistent during the program, but I switch to leaner sources the last two weeks - chicken, fish, turkey and fewer egg yolks. It’s the fats and carbs I manipulate, because I don’t want either one to be too low for too long. On training days, I want to make sure that my breakfast meal fuels me for my workout, so I’ll eat a large bowl of steel-cut oats and cut the flax oil to a teaspoon. This way I can’t wait to get my hands on some iron. I’m explosive mentally and physically. On off days, I’ll switch it around and increase my flaxseed oil and lower my carbs. I up my amino acids, creatine and glutamine.

5-CENT - Robby's companion and best freindRead about RR's training and life experience, about other legends of Golden Era of bodybuilding and what really happened behind the scenes of Weider's empire - in RR's BOOK "The BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle"▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php

Q. What approach did you take in your training for this countdown?

ROBBY : I’ve always loved to challenge myself with heavy weights. That hasn’t changed over the years. And since I was in condition going into this program, I started right off handling my max weights, doing the basic exercises. After a couple weeks, I broke it down to where I combined cables and dumbbells with the basics. During the last week, I took my body through drop sets and added a couple machines to throw a different angle in the mix. Compound exercises are my favorite; pullover presses, clean and presses. They have the power to mold the overall look of the physique. Over the eight weeks I used other tactics to stimulate muscle growth. I’d use forced reps, really focusing on the burn and work to get a powerful muscle contraction and hold it for a two-second pause. I also increased the pace between the sets.My priority is to get as much nutrient-carrying blood into my muscles as possible. This is volumization of the muscle fibers otherwise known as the pump, and it only happens when all the pieces of the plan I’ve laid out, are in order. One piece missing and it just won’t work.

WEAKNESS OF MIND IS THE DESTRUCTION OF MANY BODYBUILDERS CAREERS FOR SUCCESS.

THE BODYBUILDER HAS TO LEARN TO THRIVE OFF

R E P E T I T I O N

YOU HAVE TO GROOM YOURSELF TO LOVE REPETITION, BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU READ ABOUT TRAINING, AND NO MATTER HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE YOU BECOME THE FOLLOWING WILL STILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SECRETS PEOPLE CRAVE FOR IN ORDER TO BUILD BIGGER AND STRONGER MUSCLES.:

ARE YOU REALLY FOLLOWING A SOLID TRAINING ROUTINE?

ARE YOU REALLY USING A TRAINING FREQUENCYWITHIN YOUR RECUPERATIVE ABILITIES?

DO YOU ALTERNATE TWO DIFFERENT ROUTINES OVER THREE WORKOUTS EACH WEEK?

WEIGHT TRAIN AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK?

ARE YOU REALLY FOCUSING ON THE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS ON HVY WEEKS AND REALLY USING EXCELLENT TECHNIQUE AND CONTROLLED RHYTHMIC REPS WITH AN EYE ON YOUR BONE'S GEOMETRY ?

ARE YOU REALLY TRAINING HARD ?

ARE YOU REALLY CONSUMING FIVE TO SIX MEALS DAILYWITH THE CALORIES AND NUTRIENTS YOU NEED TO GROW ON?

ARE YOU REALLY SLEEPING WELL FOR AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS EVERY NIGHT?

ARE YOU KEEPING WRITTEN JOURNALON YOUR WORKOUTS AND ADDING THAT LITTLE BIT OF IRON ON EACH BIG EXERCISE ON YOUR HEAVY WEEK WITHOUT EVER COMPROMISING YOUR EXERCISE FORM?

IF YOU CAN’T ANSWER "YES" TO ALL THESE Q’s - THE TRUE ESSENCE OF A SUCCESSFUL BODYBUILDER - YOU ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR SLOW OR NON-EXISTENT PROGRESS.

ROBBY'S WEBSITE & ONLINE STORE

WELCOME!

MY 40 YRS OF EXPERIENCE HAVE PROVEN TO ME THAT THE BEST MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT IS ACHIEVED THROUGH NATURAL MEANS WITH A SOUND EATING PLAN, PROPER REST AND A VITAMIN AND HERBS SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM TO AID IN THE STIMULATION OF THE TRAINEE’S BODY FUNCTIONS.

THIS ALONG WITH INTENSE FOCUS ON CONTROLLED MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS AND ENDURING THE PAIN IT TAKES TO STIMULATE NATURAL MUSCLE GROWTH AND STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT IS WHAT IT TAKES. BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN AND GROW.

ONE’S POSITIVE MINDSET TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS MUST TAKE ON THE HABIT OF VISUAL PERSISTENCE AND THE WILL TO CONQUER YOURSELF.

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